The Good Life

La Petraia

'We see ourselves as temporary custodians of La Petraia rather
than its owners,' say Susan and Michael Grant, whose rural labour
of love began in 2001 when they ditched executive life in Toronto
for an abandoned farm high in the hills above Radda in Chianti.
With the help of local craftsmen, they restored the ancient
buildings, rebuilt dry-stone walls and planted vines, olives, fruit
trees and an extensive vegetable and herb garden. Add chickens,
Cinta Senese pigs, rabbits, geese, bees and so on, and you have an
organic smallholding that is 90 per cent self-sufficient. The main
house combines the traditional features of a casa colonica, or
Tuscan villa, with a few well-placed contemporary pieces. There are
four lovely bedrooms - bookable by groups of six to eight people -
which have hand-forged iron beds and linens woven by local
artisans. Most guests to La Petraia, however, come for lunch or
dinner: food is the main attraction here, and Susan is an
accomplished chef who produces imaginative dishes. The lunchtime
'Daylight Tasting Menus' served on the terrace are a delight.
There's no pool; guests are encouraged to take a cookery class, or
to enjoy the rural setting. But if the silence gets too much,
Florence and Siena are an easy drive away.

Room to book: 'Gelso' is the biggest, though the bathroom is
small; 'Forno' has a real pizza oven in the sitting area and its
own little balcony. Radda in Chianti (00 39 0577738582; www.lapetraia.com)